Review Real Food Cafe Eastern Ave - Grand Rapids

Good eats, especially for breakfast comfort foods! Cinnamon Roll pancakes are always a sure win with this place. (Serious Eaters Tip: ask for a side of the icing--thank me later😉) Hearty portions without breaking the bank! It's a smaller in and out diner feel, so that's why it scores lower for atmosphere, but you won't even notice it once your food arrives. Get there early! Parking is limited on the street, but there is a parking lot behind the building. They don't take reservations and because it's so good it stays pretty busy-- but totally worth any length of wait.

We were greeted by a delightful woman with a big smile! Our waitress made our visit personal, and she was happy we were there! Our food came rather quickly, every table was full, so we understood the small wait. Our plates were overflowing with food, and it was delicious. We ordered the Cherry Pecan Pancakes, and they were amazing! A side of hash yummy...and anplate of traditional 3 eggs over medium, sausage, potatoes, and wheat toast. Hot too! We.met.the hostess, waitress ans the general manager. We'll tell our friends to come by and definitely be back!!!!

One of my favorite places to have brunch. I get the Eggs Benedict, and my eggs are perfect every time. Service is very friendly, quick, and they never make you feel forgotten. Atmosphere is what you can expect from any casual old school diner. It is a tight space, and might feel crowded during the rush.

Enjoyed breakfast here this morning. Really busy on Saturday mornings; it’s definitely a neighborhood favorite. Had about 1/2 hour wait. Once inside, our waitress and bus-person were amazingly kind; you could tell they love working here! Food was amazing, too; definitely worth the wait. NOTE: They only accept CASH and LOCAL CHECKS. NO debit/credit cards. They do have an ATM machine on site if needed.

Always great food, hard working staff, awesome neighborhood joint. No liquor license btw if you’re brunching but it’s all good. Busy on the weekends, be prepared to wait a little bit.

Popped in here while I was back in the area. It’s been ages since I’ve been in and had the best experience. Loved the atmosphere and hearing the team bond and laugh over their shift! Will definitely be back again soon.

This by far is the best place for breakfast. I love the food! The cooks are amazing!! It's a awesome watching them work! 🔥🔥 Micky is very talented! The staff is super friendly always and so accommodating!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! This is our weekend brunch spot!

Been coming to this one a few time already. So far my experience with them has been wonderful. Service has been on point, such as them checking on customers frequently. As for the food, it’s definitely delicious. Would recommend the Lumberjack Breakfast if you looking for a big meal.

Great cinnamon rolls and breakfast Benedict! Friendly, fast service too! 🥰 Love that they give employees benefits and treat them well.

Excellent biscuits and gravy (pretty sure they're made fresh in store)! The sausage patties are hand formed. My wife's salmon scramble was excellent and had well balanced flavors. Be forewarned this place is CASH ONLY. They have baked goods at the table or to go.

Pancakes were massive and I will never be able to eat more than one. Their corned beef hash is different than regular but I think it's better! Amazing hollondaise

It's been years since I've gone to this establishment, but it's just as great as I remember it to be. I had the Irish Benedict and it was perfect and came with their standard home fries which is a chunky style hashbrown cooked in onions. I brought in a wad of cash as they traditionally have always only accepted it, but pleasantly learned that they now take card. Only reason atmosphere got 4/5 stars is I'm always cold and the ceiling fans created a strobe effect with the lights and I didn't care much for this after my long 15 hour ER night shift. Highly recommend for breakfast!

Will definitely be our new breakfast place! The food actually tastes real! And doesn’t sit like a rock when you’re done eating it. Service was amazing. Didn’t mind the wait at all!

I love Real Food so much. Their pancakes are huge and delicious. The scrambles and omelets are amazing. Even the coffee is very good! The price is right. I only wish they took credit cards, but I understand why they don't. Make sure you have cash on you! You will not regret coming here. Edit, I also wish they would let you cut an order in half. The food really is amazing but there is way too much of it.

What a cute place for a good breakfast. The service was friendly and fast. We had french toast and breakfast sandwiches. They were all very tasty. They also have fast to go service.

The food was great. The pancakes and waffles were well done. The sourdough toast was very good, and the handmade sausage packed a good punch. I wish the eggs had been done a touch more, and the home fries needed more salt. There was disharmony in the kitchen on this particular Sunday morning, with one cook and another bickering back and forth and being rude to each other. It was off putting, and the disjointed attitudes came out in the food.

Real food cafe is a great restaurant. They are extremely busy, because they have great food. Average wait time seems to be 30 minutes plus for food to be delivered to your table. It's worth the wait, but you need to know this in advance. The service is always fantastic! The grill is ridiculously cleaned. And the people there, guests and servers are all amazing.

I have been to Real Food Cafe many times and it is never a disappointment. The service is great, food is delicious, and the quantity of food you get is more than I can ever eat. If I had to say anything negative I would say they need even more space, but I feel it is worth the wait.

My first time eating at The Real Food Cafe', and it was Amazing! My experience at both locations in two days, and I am hooked! I go back to visit Grand Rapids about 4 time s a year, so striving to find a place to eat, to relax with family and friends and also on the go, is a challenge sometimes. I truly think i have to look no further, Your menu is great for all ages and such huge variety! The Food was truly Incredibly Great! I had the best scrambled egg with everything The West Sider, and my taste buds still want more! My Mother loved the HUMONGOUS fluffy pancakes, and the coffee we both loved as well. what I loved just as much, was the super respectful and friendly staff on every level. It was busy in both locations, and we were still treated in such a family friendly feel good manner. I only have Great Great things to say, and I can't wait for my next visit back to Grand Rapids to dine in again and again, to try everything on the menu. Special thanks to the owners for having a business like this, where we can truly enjoy a great tasting meal with great hospitality. Gracias!

First time there this morning! Excellent food, service and atmosphere! We sat at the counter and it was like breakfast and a show! They were the most friendliest staff I've encountered in a long time. Will definitely go back and recommend to everyone!

The food is great I recommend the monster omelette and corn beef hash. Friendly service.

I won't be back, after waiting 45 minutes to be seated PLUS 35 minutes for our food! Granted, we were there on a Sunday morning, but the wait at the table is inexcusable. The owners know how busy they are and need to hire enough kitchen staff to keep up. The food is good, but it's breakfast, not fine dining.

The food and service have gone down hill. It took a long time to get our food. Then when we received it most of the food was cold or burnt. We sent it back and had another long wait. We reported our concerns to the owner and she wasn't friendly nor was she very apologetic. We have been repeat customers for years - sorry to say not anymore.

Always love it! Great service every time - if we ever have any issues with our order, which is rare, they are quick to fix it. This is our favorite breakfast/brunch in Grand Rapids - we have never ordered anything we didn't like!!!

You will holla for the challah french toast! I live in Detroit but the 2 1/2 hour drive is worth it. Best breakfast anywhere at any time in the history of breakfast!

Outstanding food and service! I enjoyed the best omelette I've had in ages. Pricing was very reasonable for the quality of food served.

Great pancakes and the best sausage patties. We come here at least once every couple weeks for breakfast. The service is outstanding and the food is just as good.

Always great food & great service! It might just be our favorite place for breakfast!

There food is so tasty! Well, I assume it is. I always get the Northland Scramble. It's the best! Also, I've been to 2 other locations, and the food at this one is even better than the others.

Excellent food and very friendly people to wait on you as you enjoy your meal. Know that payment form is cash or check only...

This was one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. I love omelettes, but I'm really particular about how the eggs are cooked. I like them without any brown whatsoever... otherwise they just taste dry to me. I had the south side special and the eggs were light and fluffy and completely unbrowned. The omelette itself was nice and hot, and exceptionally tasty. Two thumbs, way up. Will definitely be returning!

Wonderful food , atmosphere and service . This might just become our new breakfast place